The subject invention relates to a method and system for delivery of mail within large organizations such as businesses or government agencies or other organizations that act as intermediate recipients of mail for members of the organization. More particularly, it relates to a method and system for the delivery of material which is alternative or supplemental to a mail piece to a recipient of that mail piece, who can be designated by name, title or function.
A prototype system for scanning incoming mail and other documents and delivering the scanned images electronically within an organization has been developed and internally tested by the assignee of the present application under the program name “dMail”. In the prototype “dMail” system, a mail piece envelope is scanned to determine routing information, the mail piece contents are scanned to create a digital image, and the digital image is delivered electronically in accordance with the routing information. As presently implemented “dMail” does not use information from the mail piece contents to determine routing information.
While such systems have proven effective, useful and efficient for the delivery of document images within an organization, problems remain due to the inherent loss of information in the scanning process. Many direct marketers invest a great deal of time in designing the physical characteristics of a direct mail piece (e.g. color, shape, size, etc.) since these characteristics can impact the recipient's tendency to open and respond to the offer. When a mail piece is scanned and delivered electronically, many of these characteristics are lost, thereby reducing the value to the direct marketer (and in some cases to the recipient).
It is also known to link information to various objects by affixing barcodes which when scanned cause a data processing system to access an Internet web page. One system for so linking information is marketed by the Digital Convergence Corporation under the trade name “CueCat”.
Thus, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a method and system for accessing, and delivering to a designated recipient of a mail piece, alternative material (hereinafter sometimes alternative digital material, or alternative material).